NFL preview capsule: Cincinnati Bengals at Pittsburgh Steelers
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Records: Cincinnati (3-6); Pittsburgh (5-4)
Kickoff: Sunday, 1 p.m., CBS
BetMGM NFL odds: Steelers by 5.5
Against the spread: Bengals 3-6; Steelers 4-5
Series record: Steelers lead 71-41
Last meeting: Bengals beat Steelers 33-31 on Oct. 16, 2025, in Cincinnati
Last week: Bengals were off; Steelers lost to Chargers 25-10.
Bengals offense: overall (22), rush (32), pass (13), scoring (13)
Bengals defense: overall (32), rush (32), pass (30), scoring (32)
Steelers offense: overall (29), rush (30), pass (23), scoring (16)
Steelers defense: overall (28), rush (14), pass (32), scoring (20)
Turnover differential: Bengals minus-5; Steelers plus-6
Bengals player to watch: QB Joe Flacco. Expected to make his 200th career start, Flacco is averaging a league-high 313.5 passing yards over his four starts since being traded from Cleveland to Cincinnati on Oct. 7. The 18-year veteran passed for 342 yards and three touchdowns in the Bengals' 33-31 come-from-behind victory on Oct. 16. He has 30 touchdowns, 12 interceptions and an 86.7 passer rating in 23 regular-season games against the Steelers.
Steelers player to watch: QB Aaron Rodgers. The oldest active player in the NFL looked his age (41) for the first time all season last week against the Chargers, when he completed just 16 of 31 passes for 161 yards with a touchdown and two picks, one of which wasn't his fault. The four-time MVP has rarely put up back-to-back clunkers during his Hall of Fame career and facing the NFL's worst defense might be just what he needs. Rodgers passed for 249 yards and four scores in Pittsburgh's first meeting with the Bengals.
Key matchup: Pittsburgh DBs Joey Porter Jr., James Pierre and Brandin Echols against Cincinnati WRs Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. Chase lit the Steelers up for a franchise-record 16 receptions in the first meeting, and Pittsburgh's secondary hasn't exactly distinguished itself in the interim, though it was a bit better in last week's loss to the Chargers. If the Steelers want to avoid a repeat of what happened in Cincinnati, the cornerbacks need to be more competitive against arguably the best wide receiver tandem in the league.
Key injuries: Bengals: Flacco is expected to play despite dealing with a sprained AC joint in his right throwing shoulder. … QB Joe Burrow (left big toe) has opened his 21-day window to return, but has already been ruled out. … DE Trey Hendrickson (hip) is likely to miss his second straight game and third in the last four. … RB Samaje Perine (ankle) and DE Shemar Stewart (knee) are also likely to be inactive. Steelers: OLB Alex Highsmith (pectoral) is out. This will be the third game Highsmith has missed with injury this season. … CB Darius Slay (concussion) is out. There's a chance veteran CB Asante Samuel Jr., signed to the practice squad this week, could play. … LG Isaac Seumalo (pectoral) is questionable after sitting out the Chargers game. … S Jabrill Peppers (quadriceps) will be available . … WR Scotty Miller (finger) is available after recovering from thumb surgery.
Series notes: Cincinnati has won five of the last nine meetings after the Steelers ripped off an 11-game winning streak between 2015-20. … Pittsburgh is 36-19 all-time against the Bengals at home. … Rodgers' four touchdown passes against Cincinnati last month tied Ben Roethlisberger's franchise record for most scoring tosses in a single game vs. the Bengals, set in 2020. … Pittsburgh's 31 points against Cincinnati in October marked the first time since 2005 that the Steelers had topped 30 points when facing the Bengals and lost.